Evergreen Line delayed, could be scrapped altogether

PORT COQUITLAM (NEWS1130) – Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore says he wasn’t happy to find out there’s going to be yet another delay starting construction of the Evergreen Line.

“The only time we’re really going to believe that the Evergreen Line is being built, is when we see shovels going in the ground.”

And that won’t happen for at least another year.

Transportation Minister Blair Lekstrom says no one should expect any part of the project to be done until late 2015. But he tells the Vancouver Sun the reality is the Evergreen could be scrubbed altogether — unless Metro Vancouver mayors come up with $400 million, which is their share of the $1.4 billion required to start construction.

But Moore says there are only so many funding sources Mayors can tap for their share of the cost. “We only have one funding source left to us, and that’s property tax. It’s just not appropriate to fund the Evergreen Line based on property tax.”

He says some of the ideas include funding sources made available to TransLink like parking levies, gas tax, and even the Carbon Tax.  He thinks there some room for movement from TransLink considering it’s looking at new UBC and SFU transportation plans.

The TransLink Mayors’ Council will meet in a couple of weeks with Lekstrom to see if they can come up with some kind of solution.

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